


Le Coeur A Rire

by periferal



Series: Branwen [3]
Category: RWBY
Genre: Corvids, Dissociation, Hurt, Identity Issues, M/M, Shapeshifting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-30
Updated: 2016-08-30
Packaged: 2018-08-12 00:48:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 574
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7913920
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/periferal/pseuds/periferal
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><em>It tried to move its wings, finding fingers instead. It was in person shape. This was bad. It sat up, very carefully not looking at its hands. It pushed the blanket off itself, standing up on unsteady legs. The last time it had been this tall, it had spoken to the sister in the clearing with the special stone.</em><br/>--</p><p>Qrow is dealing with everything poorly. </p><p>(the title means, roughly, "heart for laughing" and comes from the French song "A la claire fontaine."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Le Coeur A Rire

The crow considered returning to its house for the night. It was winter, after all, and the night would be cold. The house would be warm, and there would be food it would not have to scrounge for. At the house, it would not have to tuck its head to itself, and there would be no danger of other creatures stealing its food. 

It had been flying in a lazy circle around the open space by the cliff’s edge with the special rock kept bare to the sky. Now, it changed course, winging its way towards it house, where it would not be cold for the night. As it flew it noticed, down below, the other one who lived in its house. He was walking slowly, not with the quick steps it was used to seeing from him, and so, curious, the crow changed course again and flew down. It landed on a tree branch just above his head. 

“How long have you been out here?” Tai asked. He put his hand out. Instead of answering, the crow just hopped off the branch, spreading its wings so it could glide to sit on his wrist. It cocked its head at him. 

“Did you hear me talking to Raven?” Tai asked. His voice was very quiet. The crow wasn’t sure how to translate that into emotions, but its best guess was that Tai was sad. 

The crow shook its head. Oh, that was very human of it, it thought. It wondered if crows would do that, usually. And it wasn’t lying, with the gesture, it had noted that Tai was speaking to Her in the the clearing with stone, but it hadn’t wanted to hear either of them, so it had circled higher up, forgetting almost that they were there. 

The crow hopped up Tai’s arm to his shoulder. It was awkward, and very precarious, but it mean that Tai could walk and the crow could stay near him. It resisted the desire to peck at Tai’s hair. 

“Are you going to stay in the house tonight at least?” Tai asked. The crow squawked in assent. As long as Tai did not ask the crow to speak, or grow hands and feet, it would stay inside. 

***

The crow woke up the next morning, still in the house. It had fallen asleep on a chair, some place, it thought, but it found itself someplace soft. 

It tried to move its wings, finding fingers instead. It was in person shape. This was bad. It sat up, very carefully not looking at its hands. It pushed the blanket off itself, standing up on unsteady legs. The last time it had been this tall, it had spoken to the sister in the clearing with the special stone. 

The room was very tidy. Tai must have cleaned it while the crow was in proper shape. Last it had been here, there had been many more bottles, and there had been dust. Both were gone. Mostly, it was grateful, but a hollow knot of frustration reminded it that there still had been drink left in the one of the bottles it had left behind. The longer it stayed in person shape, the more it wished the bottle was still there. 

Carefully, it left its room. It would like to eat before it went back outside. It was morning now, it could see. The weather would no longer be quite so cold.

 


End file.
